When painting a surface, particularly in a trimming context, it is common to apply paint to a work surface in close proximity to another surface, which is either not to be painted or to be painted a different color, for instance. This other surface can be, for example, a window, a raised molding, an intersecting wall, an intersecting ceiling, etc. Various paint applicators exist for performing the trimming function. Such trimming tools have changed little over the years.
Various paint applicators have been devised for performing the trimming function. Paint brushes are one such type of paint applicator. Paint brushes can be inefficient and can be difficult to use to uniformly coat a surface with paint, potentially leaving brush marks or uneven color coverage. Paint brushes can also require a relatively large number of brush strokes to adequately coat an area, which can be time consuming, uncomfortable, and fatiguing to a painter. Furthermore, it can be difficult to control the bristles of a brush, which could result in getting paint on undesired surfaces unless such surfaces are masked. However, masking such surfaces can be inefficient, time consuming, and tedious. Additionally, brushes can have limited paint carrying capacity, which could result in additional time and motion in repeatedly reloading the bristles with paint. Brushes can also be relatively burdensome to clean, but throwing brushes away and replacing them can be relatively costly.
Paint pads are another type of paint applicator for use in trim painting, for instance. In some instances, paint pads can be easier to control than, for instance, brushes to potentially avoid the step of masking surfaces that are not intended to receive paint. Additionally, some paint pads can be relatively cheap to buy, such that a user may be more inclined to throw away the pad to save cleaning time. However, paint pads can be difficult to use to uniformly coat a surface with paint, potentially leading streak marks or uneven color coverage. Additionally, such paint pads are generally dragged across the work surface to apply paint thereto, which can include overcoming relatively high frictional forces between the pad and the work surface. This can result in a relatively uncomfortable and fatiguing hand motion and can also result in making the paint pad relatively difficult to control, and, in turn, less precise. Additionally, paint pads can have limited paint carrying capacity, which could result in additional time and motion in repeatedly reloading the pads with paint.
Some paint applicators, such as paint pad devices, can include paint reservoirs to limit paint reloading. However, such devices can be larger and heavier than other trimming tools and can be relatively clumsy to use and relatively difficult to control for trimming. Additionally, paint dispensing from the paint reservoirs of the devices can be uneven, sporadic, or otherwise difficult to control or gauge, which can lead to uneven paint coverage. Also, such devices can be relatively difficult to clean and can be fairly expensive to replace. For example, when cleaning such a device, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to completely wash all of the paint from bristles of the paint pad or the reservoir. The remaining paint in the bristles and the reservoir can harden and can lead to decreased performance in subsequent uses.
The typical process of painting large flat surfaces, such as interior walls in a building, normally involves a two-step process, no matter if the painter is a paid professional or a “do it yourself” homeowner. As noted above, in the first step, the painter may carefully apply paint adjacent to a trim element (commonly installed around doors, windows, stairways, flooring, cabinets, etc.) for which paint is not intended to be applied, or adjacent to an intersecting wall or ceiling surface that is to remain unpainted or is to remain a different color. This step is commonly referred to as “edging”. The edging function is often accomplished by first masking the trim element, usually with an adhesive tape that acts as a barrier to paint. Paint is then applied during the edging process with a brush or pad made of short bristles or a foam material. In the second step the painter may apply paint to the remaining unpainted wall using a device such as a large brush or roller that can more quickly apply larger amounts of paint, and overlap the area that had been painted during the edging process. The order of the two steps is often reversed, but the general organization of painting activities into the two steps remains the same.
The edging function can be a tedious, time-consuming task, often with paint being applied to the trim element in spite of the efforts to prevent it. Application of masking tape to trim elements also adds time and cost to the painting project. While some trim elements may be made of wood or metal, to which masking tape usually adheres well, other trim elements may be made of other materials such as plastic or carpet to which masking tape may not adhere or may not seal well, allowing paint to leave an undesired stain on the trim element. The quality of the masking tape can also easily influence the quality of its adhesion to the trim element. Furthermore, most users struggle to apply masking tape precisely which either results in paint still getting applied to surfaces not intended to receive paint, or alternatively, a portion of a surface that was intended to be painted was inadvertently masked off and therefore couldn't be coated.
As noted above, various paint applicators exist for performing the edging function. Paint brushes are one such type of paint applicator. Paint brushes can be inefficient and can be difficult to use to uniformly coat a surface with paint, potentially resulting in paint coverage on trim elements not intended to be painted, as well as leaving undesirable brush marks or uneven coverage. For example, when a brush is first pressed against the surface to be painted, this action typically results in an initial excessive discharge of paint onto that surface. The excessive paint discharge is difficult to control and therefore tends to result in paint coverage on trim elements not intended to be painted. The initial excessive discharge also tends to create an uneven coating in which there is more paint where the brush initially contacted the surface compared to adjacent areas where the brush subsequently coated. Furthermore, it can be difficult to precisely control the bristles of a brush resulting in paint coverage on the intersecting surface or other areas not intended to receive paint. The limited paint carrying capacity of brushes is yet another shortcoming of this tool. For example, after the initial excessive discharge of paint onto the surface, the brush shortly thereafter is not able to deliver enough paint to adequately coat the surface to be painted. This shortcoming ultimately results in additional time and motion in re-loading the brush bristles with paint.
As noted previously, paint pads and foamed tipped applicators are other type of applicators used for performing the edging function. These applicators typically are lower cost alternatives to a paint brush. They share all of the same inefficiencies and shortcoming previously described above for brushes. Additionally paint pads and foamed tip applicators tend to be more sensitive to how they're pressed against the surface. For example, pushing too hard generally results in excessive paint discharge onto the surface. This excessive discharge of paint tends to get onto surfaces not intended to receive paint and/or creates an uneven coating, and sometimes even leads to drips, sags, or runs in the coating. Conversely, pushing these applicators too lightly against the surface tends to leave uneven and/or incomplete coverage of the surface to be painted.
At the conclusion of the edging process, the masking tape needs to be carefully removed. If the paint is still wet, it can be difficult to remove the tape without smudging the adjacent paint finish. If the paint is dry, it can be difficult to remove the tape without peeling or chipping some of the adjacent paint finish.
A device that provides better flow and placement control of paint, when painting adjacent to a trim element or intersecting surface, could eliminate the need for masking tape and provide a smoother, more uniform coating. Such a device would offer significant time savings and reduced damage to trim elements.
These issues with the edging function using existing applicators illustrate the need for a painting apparatus that allows for improved paint coverage, paint uniformity, and control of paint delivery. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for a painting apparatus to include a feed source that substantially uniformly delivers paint to the applicator to promote a uniform coating and eliminate pauses to reload the applicator with paint. Furthermore, it would also be beneficial to control and limit compression of the applicator against the surface to avoid excessive discharge of paint. Furthermore, it would also be beneficial to contain and control paint release from the applicator such that masking can be avoided.